A FORMER soldier has taken over a Herefordshire brewery.

The Mayfields Brewery, which was based at Bishops Frome, is now brewing in Leomin-ster after being taken over by Adam Smith.

Adam, whose previous experience was limited to homebrewing, made the move into commercial production after completing a course at Sunderland University’s Brewlab training centre.

The business is very much a family affair with Adam brewing and making deliveries and his wife Marianela in charge of sales and paperwork.

“We were looking at setting up our own independent business and I was doing my training through SIBA (the Society of Independent Brewers) when we heard Mayfields was up for sale,” he said.

“It had stopped trading in December last year and just tied in nicely with what we were doing. The business couldn’t really carry on trading from where it was so we moved it up to Leominster. My family are all up this way so it works quite well.

“We have sold our first couple of brews very quickly, with it appearing at various beer festivals. We are now working to increase local trade, working within a 50-mile radius of the brewery.”

The brewery, based at the Croft Business Park,produces Hop Pickers Gold, Pioneer, Naughty Nells and Auntie Myrtle’s, which won a Gold Award at last year’s Barrels Beer Festival in Hereford.